


Peace & Fear Are Both Contagious

by mahwaha



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 16:11:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6202057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahwaha/pseuds/mahwaha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between the Great Bean Fiasco when she was on mess duty and the last time she’d been allowed to polish the armor - Frederick was <i>still</i> hammering the dents out - oh, she was <i>doomed</i>. If she didn’t die over ruining everything, she’d definitely cry and make a huge scene and ruin everything <i>more</i>, and then die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peace & Fear Are Both Contagious

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vype](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vype/gifts).



> I hope this brings you a smile.

Trembling fingers. Fluttering petals swinging down. Sumia’s eyes held rapt on the remains of her flower, plucked half-bare by her own two hands. “I’ll ruin it...” Five petals. “I won’t...” Four. “I’ll ruin it...” Three. “I won’t...” Two. “Oh, I’ll _ruin_ it!” And the last, still pinched between her thumb and forefinger when Libra slowed to a stop at her back.

“Sumia, are you alright?”

“ _Ah!_ ” Sumia whirled on him in an instant - or tried to. Spinning ‘round whilst kneeling turned into tangling her own legs, and Libra’s hand snatched at air when she flailed out before falling onto her face. When she pushed herself up, yellow petals clung to her rosy cheeks, and she nearly flopped back when Libra presented her with his hand. “Gods, Libra! I’m so embarrassed.”

“No, no - I’m sorry for startling you.” Libra pulled her up when she accepted at long last, watching her brush herself down as her brows furrowed. When his attention dropped to her feet, he finally noticed that it hadn’t been _one_ flower she’d plucked; it’d been dozens, if not more. A veritable graveyard of shed petals carpeted the ground in pale yellows and whites. She’d made quite the dent in the flower patch, as well. “Are you alright?”

“No!” Another tight, startled frown reached all the way through her face, wrinkling Sumia’s forehead. Libra’s brows raised at her volume. She bit her lip when she caught herself, wiping the flower petals from her cheeks with the back of her hand as her shoulders slumped. “Well, yes - I’m not hurt, but...” Her guilty gaze weighed heavy on the stripped flower stems piled in the grass. Still, her teeth worried at her lip and Libra worried at her silence, charged with nerves like she stood at the precipice of battle instead of the sun-warmed hill where she’d sequestered herself away.

“Is something wrong?” Libra asked, testing her quiet with a gentle prod while Sumia fidgeted with her fingers. “Cordelia asked me if I’d seen you, earlier. Something about her dress?”

The dam broke as Sumia’s face sparked with panic. “I’m going to ruin her wedding! I’m going to fall during the ceremony, or I’ll knock over the ring bearer, or I’ll shred the bouquet! Both of them! And oh, I’ll never live it down if I ruin the _royal_ wedding - she’s been waiting for this for _so_ long, and _Chrom_ -”

“Sumia...”

“Chrom looked so _happy_ when she proposed, so imagine his face if the wedding doesn’t go well!” Eyes wide as saucers, Sumia’s hands fanned her face while she cast a thousand yard stare to the ground. “ _Ylisse_ would never live it down - the royal wedding, _ruined_ because of a clumsy Pegasus Knight!”

“Sumia.”

“It’s bad enough that Cordelia’s trusting me to be her maid of honor! If I fail - I can’t fail my best friend, but every flower fortune says -”

“Sumia,” Libra said, stepping forward to hold her shoulders, “please, calm down.”

“Did you say Cordelia was asking about her dress? Am I supposed to,” Sumia began, but stalled when she caught Libra’s eyes: equal parts concerned, level, and pleading. His hands on her shoulders reeled her in bit by bit, pulling her head out of the storm clouds she’d been fighting all morning - and after a fretful night’s sleep, too. She drew a steadying breath through her nose, shut her eyes, and exhaled through her mouth while she tried to loosen tension’s grip on her body. It was easier said than done with two opportunities to mess up looming on the horizon: the royal wedding, after their long march home, and the smaller ceremony witnessed by the Shepherds that Chrom had insisted on - the one Libra would officiate and she would be helping with, however ‘small and informal’ it might be.

“Thank you, Libra,” Sumia sighed, another wave of heat eating up her face and neck. “For...that.” To lose it like this in front of _Libra_... At least it wasn’t Cordelia or Chrom. Her hands dropped in knotted fists with fingers that itched for another fortune, and her eyes dipped to the petals she’d pulled in slews. 

Libra shook his head with a smile she missed. “Of course. It sounds as if you’ve needed an ear. If you’d like,” he said, moving his hands from her shoulders to take a seat, “you can keep mine awhile longer if it will ease your worries. It doesn’t look like these flowers have done the trick for what ails you.” Fingers combing through a pile of petals, Libra picked one up to offer to the wind while Sumia lowered into his periphery. When he looked to her, she’d already picked a fresh stem to twirl between her fingers.

“Oh, thank you, Libra... I _have_ been worried.” Her glance at his face prompted a frown from her, however fleeting. “Very worried. Worried out of my mind! But all of these flowers - and Cordelia and Chrom are so important to me. I think I’d die if I messed up their wedding - either one. And I’m sure you know how much of a klutz I am. Everyone does.” Between the Great Bean Fiasco when she was on mess duty and the last time she’d been allowed to polish the armor - Frederick was _still_ hammering the dents out - oh, she was _doomed_. If she didn’t die over ruining everything, she’d definitely cry and make a huge scene and ruin everything _more_ , and then die. Just thinking about it made the space behind her nose start to tingle in that telltale way that warned of tears.

“I haven’t spoken at length with Chrom, but I know Cordelia holds you very dear. She’s always spoken highly of you when you’ve come up in conversation.” Libra’s words dulled the edge of that tingling, and Sumia let go of the petal she’d been about to pluck when she met his eyes. He nodded to her with the kindest, most empathetic smile she’d ever seen - a disarming kind of beauty. If only _he_ could be Cordelia’s maid of honor...surely he’d do well... 

“You’ve talked about me with her?” It’d hit the point where her embarrassment embarrassed her, but Sumia couldn’t just stop it, no matter how the idea of Cordelia’s praise flattered her. She lowered the flower to her lap absentmindedly, legs folding off to the side.

“At times we take tea together when she needs reminding to rest.” A glimmer of humor hid in the corner of his mouth, there and gone in a blink. “She’s told me of your kindness and how you’re her most treasured friend. It didn’t surprise me at all to learn that she’d asked you to serve as her maid of honor. I can’t imagine her asking anyone else, especially in light of how much you obviously care for her.”

“You really think so?”

“I do. If you’ve been worrying here this whole time, it’s clear how important she and Chrom’s happiness is to you.” Libra folded his hands in his lap, expression turning serious as he caught Sumia’s eye. “May I speak my mind with you?”

Sumia’s eyes widened a fraction, but she nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“Even if you fall during the ceremony, Cordelia would never fault you for that. Having you there to support her is what matters most, and I believe Chrom must feel similarly.” Attention drifting to the horizon, Libra drew a long breath that unburdened Sumia to hear, and she mimicked it for the good of the air in her lungs. It matched the growing lightness in her head, hearing such words. She watched the sunlight pouring over distant treetops in gratitude, face warm but lips curved up in a smile that Libra chuckled at when he caught it in a glance. “I’m sorry if that was too much. I promise that I’m speaking honestly.”

“Oh, no!” Sumia’s eyes jerked back to Libra as she sat straight, shaking her head. “I’m just not used to hearing stuff like that. I appreciate it, I really do - I forget a lot of good things when I worry, and the flower fortunes weren’t helping today. There isn’t that much time before their ceremony with us, either. Cordelia wanted me to go with her for her dress fitting... Oh!” Jerking again, Sumia managed to throw her flower as she sat even straighter, then hid her mouth behind her hands when it smacked into Libra’s face. His _face_ \- he looked so _surprised_ , almost silly with his eyes that round! “Oh gods, I’m sorry! You said Cordelia was looking for me - and I just threw that flower right at you, I’m so sorry!”

Libra stared at her. Then looked to the flower. As he picked it up, his shoulders began to quiver.

“Did it hit you in the eye? Are you allergic?”

And Libra _laughed_ , soft but possessing where it broke his breath. “No, no, I’m well. I apologize - I don’t want you to think ill of me for laughing. You surprised me.” Tittering, Libra raised the flower to his face and twirled it between his fingers. How he managed to make laughing look serene went beyond Sumia’s reach, but witnessing it with how awkward everything had been made her start to giggle, as well.

“Sorry,” she said, reflexive as she held one hand up. “I don’t know why I’m laughing - I just wanted to ask if you knew where Cordelia was, but now I,” giggle, “can’t stop!” As if all of her nervous energy had decided to funnel out because she’d thrown a flower in Libra’s face after all of the kind things he’d said to her. She felt so rude! Sumia spluttered behind her other hand, eyes squeezing shut as she laughed harder and heard Libra do the same. Looking at Libra felt impossible until her giggle fit managed to trickle down and die, but by that time she’d folded over her own lap. When she did manage a peek, she caught Libra wiping his eyes.

“Ah,” he sighed, satisfied, “I haven’t laughed like that in ages. Cordelia told me of your humor, but I hadn’t expected to laugh myself to tears. I am sorry.”

Sumia sat up bit by bit, catching her breath with her long hair swinging to the shake of her head. “No! It was silly, wasn’t it? Everything... Thank you so much for sitting with me, Libra. And listening. You really are so kind!” She wiped her eyes for good measure, unable to shake her smile so soon. When she caught Libra smiling back, she fell into giggles yet again as it widened.

“Thank you. If you ever need to talk again, you can come and find me at any time. Your company is always welcome.” Libra offered the flower for Sumia to take, calmer but no less tickled as she ducked her chin and accepted it. “If you’d like, I can accompany you to look for Cordelia. She might have waited at camp for you.”

At mention of Cordelia, Sumia drew herself up and dusted herself off, holding onto the flower all the while. “Yes! I’d like that. Are you sure?”

Libra accepted her hand up, when offered. “Of course. I’m sure we can find her together. Perhaps you can share a few stories while we walk, since most of what I’ve heard has been from Cordelia.”

Walking with Libra, Sumia fostered fresh hope in her heart. Hope, and a feeling that she couldn’t quite shake: that no matter what, even if she tripped and knocked an entire wedding cake onto Chrom, things would turn out alright. She smiled and shuffled closer, mindful of her feet as she went.

“Oh! Well, if you haven’t already heard it, I can tell you how we met...”

**Author's Note:**

> As an aside: Sully would be Chrom's Best Woman, because Frederick would be too honored to keep it casual with his planning - and let's be real, his speech at the reception or whatnot would be tag-teaming with Cordelia about how great Chrom is. Two hours minimum. No, Sully has the fun childhood stories that make Chrom look like a nerd and the willingness to tell them, and Chrom asks Frederick to help "a bit" with the wedding planning, and Frederick is Frederick about it. Sumia and Libra probably have a dance at the royal wedding reception where Libra is repeatedly mistaken for a woman, and thus Sumia's inclinations are called into question about her current gal pal status, and it's a great and lovable mess.
> 
> If they were born at the time, Owain would totally be the ring bearer and Cynthia would rock as flower girl, but Owain would lose the rings with his twitching sword hand and Cynthia would give the entire attendance a bad case of sneezing over the sheer volume of flower petals she's trying to leap through for her battle moves, okay? Severa might fight her. It'd be a huge mess. Best royal wedding Ylisse has seen in decades.


End file.
